Operation Infatuate II: Sherman tanks at Westkapelle

[Jakko Westerbeke]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

A very good source of film is IWM Catalogue number COI 495 "WALCHEREN LANDINGS [Allocated Title]"

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/i...ect/1060021679



It contains a lot of footage of the AFVs landing on the beach, and in action further north towards Domburg and the Black Hut area.

I was watching this film carefully today (should have done that sooner …) and noticed some interesting details. One of them is that the last digit of the census number of Wolf of Badenoch is a 5:

Wolf of Badenoch.jpg
(this is a still from 8:25 minutes into the film)

That makes the number most likely T148325 by my reckoning, though it could also be T148325, T148825 or T143325 (in descending order of likelihood, in my opinion).

Also, there doesn’t appear to be a name on this side of the tank.

[MicS]

Originally Posted by Jakko Westerbeke

I was watching this film carefully today (should have done that sooner …) and noticed some interesting details. One of them is that the last digit of the census number of Wolf of Badenoch is a 5:

Attachment 114517
(this is a still from 8:25 minutes into the film)

That makes the number most likely T148325 by my reckoning, though it could also be T148325, T148825 or T143325 (in descending order of likelihood, in my opinion).

Also, there doesn’t appear to be a name on this side of the tank.

Great find of the last missing T-number of WOLF OF BADENOCH Jakko! I should also have looked at this clip more carefully sooner!

I believe the number is T-148025. See for example this photo:


No.10 '5 BRAMBLE' - rear right view - T14802x - FO039995.jpg

Michel

[Jakko Westerbeke]

Originally Posted by MicS

I believe the number is T-148025. See for example this photo:

I don’t think a 0 fits:

Sherman „Wolf of Badenoch” 31 juli 1946 B.jpg

There seems to be a “dent” on the left-hand side of the fourth digit that makes a 3 more likely than either a 0, IMHO (or, for that matter, a 6, an 8 or a 9).

I’m still wondering why the numbers are dark like this. My theory is the white paint has flaked off and either took the British paint with it, exposing American OD or British SCC 2 underneath, or the “shadows” are SCC 15 that hasn’t discoloured as much as the paint around it.

Then again, I would also love to know what the dark stain at the rear of the side plate is … I’m leaning to more paint from someone cleaning a brush, possibly a medium green (which might show up darker in black and white photos than an OD-like shade).

[MicS]

Yes, on that particular photo it appears that there might be a dent on the left side of the fourth digit, but none on its right, which would exclude the digit being a 3, and suggest a 9 or a 0. However, the dent on the left side is not visible on the first photo in my post #15 above:
http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...3&postcount=15
where the left side looks continuous, and not really apparent on the second, so my bet is still on a 0.

As for the dark colour of the digits, I think it's just the white paint ageing. The 'T' and first digit are still whitish, while the remaining digits have already turned dark. See also the white outline of turret #20 in post #2: part of it has turned dark.

Michel

[MicS]

For the left side of the fourth digit see also this photo:


WOLF OF BADENOCH - 1128x1600.jpg

[Jakko Westerbeke]

Originally Posted by MicS

For the left side of the fourth digit see also this photo:

Again, I find it very hard to see much of the number in that. I can recognise the 4 and the 2 somewhat, but everything else is mostly blobs Trying to make it more readable in Photoshop doesn’t work overly well (not helped by rather high JPEG compression) but after playing with colours and sharpness, I’m inclined to agree that it’s indeed more likely a 0 (or perhaps a 6) than a 3.

[James P]

Hello all, this is a amazing thread and it is always great to see the efforts put into figuring out what happened back in the day and where vehicles ended up. I will throw out a crazy suggestion that you guys should run an advertisement in local to the area newspapers seeking any pictures, no matter how mundane, of the period. Somewhere, someone has old pics or a treasure trove album of pics just begging to see the light of day (on MLU).

[MicS]

OK, I'll try and make myself more limpid:

1. Right side of the 4th digit: on this photo, the line is a perfect arc of oval, with the edges of the line slightly darker, just like when one uses a brush the paint is a bit thicker at the edges of the brush stroke. This means the digit is either a '0' or a '9', a '0' being more probable since a '9' would usually have a wider top:
1 - No.10 T-No. 4th digit - right side.jpg

2. Left side of the digit: even though the images are not sharp, they seem to show that the left side is continuous over the lower 2/3 of the left line, thus excluding a '9':
2 - No.10 T-No. 4th digit - left side.jpg
3 - No.10 T-No. 4th digit - left side 2.jpg

Consequently, there only remains the possibility of a '0'.

Michel

[Jakko Westerbeke]

Originally Posted by MicS

Yes, on that particular photo it appears that there might be a dent on the left side of the fourth digit, but none on its right, which would exclude the digit being a 3

Um … you’ve lost me there A dent on the left side I would consider a good indicator of it possibly being a 3.

Edit: Wait, you mean there’s no small indentation on the right. Sorry, brain not working too well today But if the paint has flaked off, then a lack of an indentation on either side doesn’t mean anything: if it also took a bit of the underlying paint off, you can get a smooth outline when first there was an indentation.

Originally Posted by MicS

However, the dent on the left side is not visible on the first photo in my post #15 above:

I find it very hard to tell in that photo. The number is more a smear than anything resembling a digit, especially on the right-hand side.

Interestingly, the name also doesn’t seem to be visible at all in that photo.

Here’s another picture, with all the white gone:

Wolf of Badenoch WD-number.jpg

I still see an indent on the left side that I’d say likely points to a 3 or perhaps an 8.

Originally Posted by MicS

As for the dark colour of the digits, I think it's just the white paint ageing. The 'T' and first digit are still whitish, while the remaining digits have already turned dark. See also the white outline of turret #20 in post #2: part of it has turned dark.

Is this a phenomenon I’ve never heard of before? White paint turning yellow, yes, but that’s usually indoors when the paint isn’t in direct sunlight. That wouldn’t be the case here, but is there something about WWII-era paints that turns white paint dark after exposure to the elements, then?